Area educators can learn how to get ahead of bullying in the classroom with a free workshop.

The workshop, titled Creating Safe Schools for LGBTQ Students: Tools and Resources for Teachers, will be from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, April 3, at the LGBT/Queer Studies Institute at Illinois State University, 205 S. Main St. The free event is co-sponsored by the Institute and the Illinois Safe Schools Alliance.

According to the Alliance, 35 percent of Illinois students report that sexual orientation is the most common reason students are bullied or harassed. And 85 percent of students report hearing homophobic remarks and language at school.

The Creating Safer Schools workshop aims to give teachers the tools to stop bullying of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBT) students in the classroom.

Sessions will include how bullying impacts students, legal obligations of teachers and administrators, and tools and resources to address homophobic behavior by fellow students as well as by school faculty and staff. Four sessions will run for 45 minutes each. Food will be provided.